Janelle MonĂˇe joins Nate Ruess of fun. on the nominated 'We Are Young' for Grammys special in Nashville. / Kevin Winter, Getty Images

by Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

by Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

Fresh acts triumphed over seasoned favorites in the marquee categories of Grammy Awards nominations announced Wednesday night, giving the top races a youthful tilt and giving the boot to such vets as Bonnie Raitt and Lionel Richie.

Ocean, Mumford and fun. lead the pack with six nods each, along with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Auerbach's band has five, as do Chick Corea and Miguel.

The Keys' Lonely Boy, Ocean's Thinkin Bout You and fun.'s We Are Young are up for record of the year against Kelly Clarkson's Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You), Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know and Taylor Swift's We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.

Stronger and Young are also in the running for best song, given to composers, along with Ed Sheeran's The A Team, Miguel's Adorn and the committee-penned Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.

Fun., the only act to land in all four top categories, made the best-new-artist cut, but voters snubbed Gotye, despite strong artistic and sales credentials. They also resisted one-hit sensation Jepsen and boy bands One Direction and The Wanted, instead anointing country upstart Hunter Hayes, Southern rock band Alabama Shakes and Denver folk-rock trio The Lumineers.

Who's poised for a sweep? Mumford already has Grammy's blessing. Fun. has mainstream pull. Ocean has strong critical support. The Black Keys are a dark horse.

While rap titans Jay-Z and West claim six nominations each, they compete against themselves and each other in some rap slots and can win a maximum of four each.